Colombia reveals ICT regulatory agenda for 2023-24

Colombian telecommunications regulator CRC presented its 2023-24 regulatory agenda this week, outlining the areas on which it will focus in the period. 

The agenda is an important instrument for the watchdog to outline its medium-term plans and improve regulation of the ICT, postal and audiovisual sectors that it is responsible for supervising.

“Taking into account the country's economic situation, as well as developments and trends expected for the ICT, postal and audiovisual industries, the agenda for 2023-24 includes projects … to promote competition in a dynamic market that will benefit consumers … in line with the national government's strategy to promote connectivity throughout the country to close the digital divide, allow innovation and the digital transformation of the sector, promote an open and transparent digital government and move towards a digital economy, promoting the consolidation of the national ICT industry as driver engine of growth and innovation," the document states.

To achieve this, the agenda outlines five strategic pillars: the well-being and rights of users and audiences, promotion of competition and investment, innovation and regulatory improvement, management of value groups (the individuals and organizations for whom telecommunications goods and services are intended) and institutional strengthening.

Specifically, the agenda includes 26 initiatives that have already been underway since previous regulatory periods, seven new ones and five new projects to respond to the needs of the sectors that CRC oversees.

The regulator has established 10 initiatives for market and competition issues. With regard to infrastructure, one of the main projects is the identification of municipalities that have deployment barriers.

The regulator stated that, as of November 2022, there are 780 municipalities, or 70.7% of the total in the country, that are categorized as having no obstacles to the installation of telecommunications infrastructure. 

CRC underlined the need to "continue with work and activities related to this strategy, holding discussions and supporting territorial entities, and promoting the improvement of territorial planning instruments that facilitate the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure to support connectivity and community development.”

The watchdog also intends to develop a study of technical schemes that promote connectivity in Colombia, looking specifically at identifying schemes adopted internationally that involve the development of neutral networks, the conditions that favor their adoption, and their pros and cons.

Another important initiative entails reviewing the carrier market. CRC has said it will examine the definition of the relevant market, including analyzing competitive conditions in the retail residential fixed internet market. It is expected to make a regulatory decision in this regard during the second quarter of 2023.

The authority also plans to review the remuneration schemes for fixed networks, making a regulatory proposal on this in the first quarter of 2024.

CRC also wants to look at the methodology used to update regulated rates in cases there is no competition, a failure occurs in the market or when the quality of the services provided does not meet the required levels.

The wholesale remuneration values set by operators for access to and use of their networks are currently regulated, such as call termination rates for fixed and mobile networks, access to national automatic roaming, virtual mobile operations, and poles and ducts, among others. The regulator's proposal on this is expected to be ready for publication in the second quarter of next year.

In addition, the regulator proposed to carry out an analysis next year of the technical regulations for internal telecommunications networks (RITEL), which are scheduled to be reviewed every five years.

The complete regulatory agenda can be consulted here, in Spanish.